Exam Room
Time seat: O(logn) leave: O(logn) · Space O(n) · Official statement on LeetCode
Solutions
// Time: seat: O(logn),
// leave: O(logn)
// Space: O(n)
// bst solution, inspired by zqzwxec
class ExamRoom {
public:
ExamRoom(int N)
: num_(N)
, max_bst_(Compare(N))
{
seats_.emplace(-1);
seats_.emplace(num_);
max_bst_.emplace(-1, num_);
}
int seat() {
const auto top = *max_bst_.cbegin();
max_bst_.erase(top);
const auto& mid = top.first == -1 ? 0
: top.second == num_ ? num_ - 1
: (top.first + top.second) / 2;
seats_.emplace(mid);
max_bst_.emplace(top.first, mid);
max_bst_.emplace(mid, top.second);
return mid;
}
void leave(int p) {
const auto& it = seats_.find(p);
const auto& left = *prev(it), &right = *next(it);
max_bst_.erase({left, p});
max_bst_.erase({p, right});
seats_.erase(p);
max_bst_.emplace(left, right);
}
private:
class Compare {
public:
Compare(int N) : num_(N) {}
bool operator() (const pair<int, int>& a, const pair<int, int>& b) const {
const auto& dist_a = distance(a), &dist_b = distance(b);
return dist_a == dist_b ? less<int>()(a.first, b.first)
: greater<int>()(dist_a, dist_b);
}
private:
int distance(const pair<int, int>& segment) const {
return segment.first == -1 || segment.second == num_
? segment.second - segment.first - 1
: (segment.second - segment.first) / 2;
}
int num_;
};
int num_;
set<pair<int, int>, Compare> max_bst_;
set<int> seats_;
};
// Time: seat: O(logn),
// leave: O(logn)
// Space: O(n)
// bst solution, inspired by zqzwxec
class ExamRoom2 {
public:
ExamRoom2(int N)
: num_(N)
, max_bst_(Compare(N))
{
seats_[-1] = {-1, num_};
seats_[num_] = {-1, num_};
max_bst_.emplace(-1, num_);
}
int seat() {
const auto top = *max_bst_.cbegin();
max_bst_.erase(top);
const auto& mid = top.first == -1 ? 0
: top.second == num_ ? num_ - 1
: (top.first + top.second) / 2;
seats_[mid] = top;
seats_[top.first].second = mid;
seats_[top.second].first = mid;
max_bst_.emplace(top.first, mid);
max_bst_.emplace(mid, top.second);
return mid;
}
void leave(int p) {
const auto left = seats_[p].first, right = seats_[p].second;
max_bst_.erase({left, p});
max_bst_.erase({p, right});
seats_.erase(p);
seats_[left].second = right;
seats_[right].first = left;
max_bst_.emplace(left, right);
}
private:
class Compare {
public:
Compare(int N) : num_(N) {}
bool operator() (const pair<int, int>& a, const pair<int, int>& b) const {
const auto& dist_a = distance(a), &dist_b = distance(b);
return dist_a == dist_b ? less<int>()(a.first, b.first)
: greater<int>()(dist_a, dist_b);
}
private:
int distance(const pair<int, int>& segment) const {
return segment.first == -1 || segment.second == num_
? segment.second - segment.first - 1
: (segment.second - segment.first) / 2;
}
int num_;
};
int num_;
set<pair<int, int>, Compare> max_bst_;
unordered_map<int, pair<int, int>> seats_;
};
// Time: seat: O(logn) on average,
// leave: O(logn)
// Space: O(n)
// heap solution
class ExamRoom3 {
public:
ExamRoom3(int N)
: num_(N)
, max_heap_(Compare(N))
{
seats_[-1] = {-1, num_};
seats_[num_] = {-1, num_};
max_heap_.emplace(-1, num_);
}
int seat() {
while (!seats_.count(max_heap_.top().first) ||
!seats_.count(max_heap_.top().second) ||
seats_[max_heap_.top().first].second != max_heap_.top().second ||
seats_[max_heap_.top().second].first != max_heap_.top().first) {
max_heap_.pop(); // lazy deletion
}
const auto top = max_heap_.top(); max_heap_.pop();
const auto& mid = top.first == -1 ? 0
: top.second == num_ ? num_ - 1
: (top.first + top.second) / 2;
seats_[mid] = top;
seats_[top.first].second = mid;
seats_[top.second].first = mid;
max_heap_.emplace(top.first, mid);
max_heap_.emplace(mid, top.second);
return mid;
}
void leave(int p) {
const auto left = seats_[p].first, right = seats_[p].second;
seats_.erase(p);
seats_[left].second = right;
seats_[right].first = left;
max_heap_.emplace(left, right);
}
private:
class Compare {
public:
Compare(int N) : num_(N) {}
bool operator() (const pair<int, int>& a, const pair<int, int>& b) const {
const auto& dist_a = distance(a), &dist_b = distance(b);
return dist_a == dist_b ? greater<int>()(a.first, b.first)
: less<int>()(dist_a, dist_b);
}
private:
int distance(const pair<int, int>& segment) const {
return segment.first == -1 || segment.second == num_
? segment.second - segment.first - 1
: (segment.second - segment.first) / 2;
}
int num_;
};
int num_;
priority_queue<pair<int, int>, vector<pair<int, int>>, Compare> max_heap_;
unordered_map<int, pair<int, int>> seats_;
};
/**
* Your ExamRoom object will be instantiated and called as such:
* ExamRoom obj = new ExamRoom(N);
* int param_1 = obj.seat();
* obj.leave(p);
*/
Beginner Explanation
What is Exam Room?
Exam Room (LeetCode #855) is a Medium problem that primarily trains binary heap.
How to think about it
- Restate the goal in your own words before coding.
- Work a tiny example by hand so the invariant becomes obvious.
- Identify the pattern — this problem aligns with heap.
- Only then translate the idea into code.
Why this problem matters
It sits in the sweet spot of interview difficulty: multiple valid approaches, clear trade-offs. Official solution notes mention: BST, Hash.
AlgoForge explanations are original teaching notes. Always open the official problem statement on LeetCode for constraints and examples.
Interview Walkthrough
Interview approach for Exam Room
Opening (30–60 seconds)
- Clarify inputs/outputs and edge cases (empty input, single element, duplicates, overflow).
- State a brute force so the interviewer knows you can solve it naively.
- Propose the optimal direction tied to heap.
Core solution narrative
- Define the state you track (pointers, DP cell, set membership, stack top, etc.).
- Explain the transition when you process the next element.
- Call out time (seat: O(logn) leave: O(logn)) and space (O(n)) before coding.
- Code cleanly; narrate variable names.
What interviewers listen for
- Correctness on edge cases
- Complexity honesty
- Ability to discuss trade-offs (e.g., hash map space vs. sort + two pointers)
Follow-up questions they may ask
- Can you solve it with less memory?
- What if the input stream is infinite / doesn't fit in RAM?
- How would tests look for adversarial inputs?
Optimized Approach
Optimized solution notes
The reference solutions on AlgoForge target seat: O(logn) leave: O(logn) time and O(n) space.
Pattern focus: heap
Use the pattern as a checklist:
- heap — confirm the invariant holds after each step
Multiple methods appear in the source solutions — compare them and explain when each is preferable.
Implementation tips
- Prefer readable names over micro-optimizations in interviews.
- Extract helpers only when they clarify (e.g., expand-around-center, DFS visit).
- After AC-level logic, re-scan for off-by-one and null checks.
Complexity Analysis
Complexity
| Measure | Bound |
|---|---|
| Time | seat: O(logn) leave: O(logn) |
| Space | O(n) |
How to justify this in an interview
- Time: count loops, map/set operations, and recursive branching; state average vs worst case if relevant.
- Space: include hash maps, recursion stack, and output allocation when the problem asks for it.
If your implementation differs from the reference, re-derive big-O from your code — never memorize a complexity you cannot defend.
Common Mistakes
Common mistakes on Exam Room
- Skipping edge cases — empty collections, single-element inputs, max constraints.
- Wrong invariant for heap — updating state too early or too late.
- Mutating input unexpectedly when the problem forbids it.
- Off-by-one in windows, ranges, or binary search bounds.
- Ignoring overflow / precision for integer arithmetic problems.
- Overengineering — jumping to an advanced structure when a simpler approach works.
Alternative Approaches
Alternatives
The source file includes more than one method. Compare:
- Primary optimized path — best complexity for typical interviews.
- Secondary approach — often brute force, sorting-based, or space-optimized variant.
Practice articulating when you would pick each (constraints, readability, follow-ups).
Edge Cases
Edge cases checklist
- Minimum input size
- Maximum input size / time limits
- Duplicates and already-sorted input
- Negative numbers / zeros (if applicable)
- Disconnected structures (graphs/trees)
- Single path vs branching recursion depth
Pattern Recognition
Spotting this pattern
Signal phrases that point to heap:
- Sorted input or ability to sort without changing the answer class
- Need for contiguous subarray / substring → consider sliding window
- Need for O(1) membership → hash set/map
- Optimal substructure + overlapping subproblems → DP
- Connectivity / components → graph DFS/BFS or Union-Find
Primary topics: binary heap.
Follow-up Interview Questions
Follow-ups
- How does the solution change if the input is a stream?
- Can you solve it in-place?
- What if duplicates must be handled differently?
- How would you parallelize the approach?
- Design tests that would break a buggy implementation.
Practice Recommendations
What to practice next
- Re-solve Exam Room in a second language (cpp, python).
- Drill 3–5 more problems tagged binary heap.
- Teach the solution out loud in under 5 minutes.
- Add this problem to your revision calendar in 3 days and 14 days.
Visualization
Study checklist
- Read the official problem statement on LeetCode
- Solve on paper / whiteboard first
- Implement the heap approach
- Verify edge cases from the checklist
- State time and space complexity aloud
- Compare with the AlgoForge reference solution
- Schedule a revision session
Revision notes
Exam Room (#855) — Medium. Pattern: heap. Complexity: seat: O(logn) leave: O(logn) time / O(n) space. Re-derive the invariant before coding.
FAQs
What is the time complexity of Exam Room?+
The reference solutions aim for seat: O(logn) leave: O(logn) time and O(n) space. Always re-derive complexity from the code you write in the interview.
What pattern does Exam Room use?+
It primarily maps to heap, within the broader topic of binary heap.
Is Exam Room good for interviews?+
Yes — as a Medium problem it is a solid practice target. Pair it with related problems in the same pattern family for spaced repetition.
Where can I read the official statement?+
Open the official LeetCode page for constraints and examples: https://leetcode.com/problems/exam-room/